Bucs' boys lacrosse eliminated

The Grand Haven boys lacrosse team rode a six-game winning streak into Friday's Division 1 regional final at Grandville High School, but Forest Hills Northern was unimpressed.

The No. 1-ranked Huskies controlled the ball in the first quarter and throughout the second half, paving the way for a 19-6 pounding of the Buccaneers.

"We've been playing really good lacrosse, up until tonight," said Grand Haven coach Murle Greer. "Give all the credit in the world to Forest Hills and their coaching staff, and their talent. They're a really talented team; (a) well-coached, disciplined bunch of lacrosse guys. We're happy with our season, we just would have liked to have given more of a showing in the championship."

FHN set the tone right out of the gate, jumping out to an 8-1 first-quarter lead.

But Grand Haven fired back in the second quarter, scoring five unanswered goals before FHN found the back of the net with 3.5 seconds remaining, putting the game at 9-6 heading into the halftime break.

It was a glimmer of hope for the Bucs, albeit a short-lived one.

"We just came back and did what we know how to do, our systems and everything," said senior Trevor McNamara. "It just fell apart in the second half."

FHN controlled the ball after the break, seeming to win every faceoff. The Huskies held the Buccaneers scoreless, and put up six goals in the third quarter, before forcing a running clock with 10:55 remaining in the game.

"I think we could play better," said McNamara, one of many seniors who spent his last moments in a Bucs' uniform on Friday. "(In the) second half we didn't touch the ball at all. ... It just sucks because we know we can go farther than that — we know we can play better."

Read more of this story in today's print edition or e-edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.